Seeds of Transformation: Assessing Farmers' Preferences and Intentions for Improving Agricultural Water‐Saving Irrigation Facilities

ABSTRACT Promoting the enhancement of water‐saving irrigation facilities (WSIFs) within rural communities holds significant practical relevance in addressing agricultural water shortages. Utilizing survey data obtained from 495 farm households within the Wei River Basin in China, this study employs a choice experiment approach that incorporates the extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to investigate the willingness of farmers to advance WSIFs. The findings reveal a strong inclination among farmers towards WSIFs progression, with an average willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) of 2877.3 CNY per hectare per year. Significant heterogeneity in farmers' WSIFs preferences is evident, with a notable emphasis on land quality. Conversely, water quality, farmers' income and technical guidance/training have associated WTP values of 370.65, 697.05 and 699.6 CNY/ha/year, respectively. In our further TPB path analysis, factors such as attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behaviour control, knowledge and risk perception emerged as explanatory factors for farmers' intentions to transform their behaviour. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that those predominantly engaged in cash‐crop cultivation, actively utilizing WSIFs and exhibiting high TPB scores tend to display a heightened inclination towards WSIFs and higher WTP. The findings of this study may offer essential insights and feasible guidance for refining policies that promote WSIFs.